Helper of the Darkness
by SilentDignity
Summary: Knives is an elf who has been shunned by his brethern for his sinful and inaccurate visions. After being possessed for 3 days by the Lord of Nightmares he becomes an exile. Now he has pupil named Merle who isn't very bright. Knives then meets a strange de
1. Chapter 1

A shrill cry filled my ears as I ran. I came to a small clearing with a corpse drenched in a puddle of blood surrounding it. I walked forward slowly. The body belonged to a woman. Her face was drenched in sweat and blood, a few strands of hair loose from the ponytail that held the rest. But the only thing I could look at was her green eyes. Such beautiful eyes the windows to one's soul. And through these windows I saw the ugly presence of fear and confusion.

She looked into my silverish white eyes as though I were the air she shallowly breathed through her small lips. _Who did this to her?_ It wasn't human; the bite marks on her neck were proof of that.

A growling sound 20 feet to my left made me look up. It was a doglike creature, its mouth stained with blood. Half it's face; body and most of its right hind leg were nothing but bones. A ban chi, a corpse or skeleton that devours flesh, blood, and life force in order to live again.

It walked forward, closing the space between us and itself, quite confident that it's prey had nowhere to run if at all.

The last few paces it pounced. I stared at the eyes that belonged to the unholy beast, unable to move, staring into its cold hard gaze as it passed right though me as if I were a ghost and slathered the poor, unlucky mortal.

I awoke sweating and breathing hard remembering the ban chi rip the woman's throat. The last sound she made before crossing over to the other side to meet the all mighty goddess of death was an ear-shattering scream.

Once I came to my senses I was once again engulfed in the usual darkness that my useless eyes saw. And yet these same eyes though useless give me the gift to see beyond the here and now. The dream I had was no dream but of a vision of what was to come if I did not act quickly.

Some think I am mad. Am I? Even I don't know. These people that are my sisters and brethren shun me. I saved their sorry ass many times and they repay me by ignoring me and the visions that have saved them. Am I mad or are they? Are we all mad? I need to stop thinking so much. It makes my brain hurt.

Something was walking into my direction. A doglike creature slightly bigger than a horse mostly black except for the white markings upon it's face and paws and long, white mane. Jicaru. My only travel companion. Unless you count the annoying girl on top of Jicaru, that is my apprentice. Merle.

"Master, are you alright?"

"Just fine Merle."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Her attention was flattering but for the most part exasperating.

I got up from my pathetic bed of leaves and walked over to Jicaru.

"I'm going to be gone traveling for a while, your to stay here," I said in as commanding voice I could muster.

She stayed on Jicaru.

"I'm coming with you," a more commanding voice than I mustered.

I suck at ordering people around. Sometimes I wonder whose the mentor and who's the apprentice. And what made this worse was that she was on my only means of escape. Shit. You'd think she would listen to me at least once.

Whenever I decide to go traveling somewhere she just has to come along whether I like it or not, and 99.9 of the time I don't like it.

"This is going to be dangerous, Merle, I hope you understand this," the voice of defeat.

"So has every other journey you went on," true, "What was the vision about?"

"If you want to know just stay behind and you'll get all the information you want."

"Very funny Master."

"I'm serious." Whenever there's a chance to make Merle stay behind I take it. I'm just that desperate.

"You know I'll figure it out eventually." An empty threat and she knows it. Still, this means she's coming with me whether she has the information or not. The only way she'll stay here is if I do and that defeats the entire purpose. I can't abandon her either, damn conscience.

Sigh. "Move over."

"Yeah! I promise to not be in the way and help out all that I can," blah, blah, blah, she just has to rub it in. Here comes the flattery.

"Your so understanding and good hearted Master Knives." She always adds Master Knives for good measures making my defeat all the more sour.

She moved over as I climbed onto Jicaru's back and embraced me so as not to fall off. I hit the sides of the dog horse and he started to jog though the dense forest with the grace of a deer. Jealous? Somewhat but still jealous nonetheless.

This went on for an hour with a sleeping apprentice still embracing me with the grip much like the Jaws of Life when I saw a town. Thank the lord; my legs and arms alike have gone to sleep with the rest of my body wishing to do the same. I decided not to wake Merle unless it was necessary, the girl talked too much probably to make up for my usual silence. I should have been a hermit. (I was a hermit until Merle came along). People left them alone much as I wish Merle would do. She got on my nerves. I should just push her off now. There were 2 reasons, o.k. 3, why I couldn't do this: my damn conscience, she was hanging onto me with the Jaws of Life, and when I turned my head I looked at her and dare I say it, she looked kinda cute with her red hair blowing in the breeze on her dark face, her icy blue eyes closed, the look of comfort…

I was brought back to my senses by a low tree branch smacking me in the back of the head. Hopefully it didn't wake Merle. Wouldn't know what to do with an aching head and a woken Merle.

"Master…" damn, just my luck.

She was looking at me wondering why I was rubbing my head and how it was the back of my head that got injured.

"It's nothing," I said my voice dripping with pain, very convincing.

"What're you doing?"

"I told you its nothing, nothing, nothing I said," I didn't want to tell her the back of my head hit a tree branch while watching her sleep. Truth is something I want to avoid especially now. Unfortunately I'm paranoid on such matters making me a very bad liar.

"Oh it's something."

"No your wrong its nothing, nothing," I said in 3 seconds hoping that if I say it fast enough I won't have that part of my voice expose myself for lying. I need to stop saying nothing or it will make her more suspicious then she already is. One of my paranoid traits making me a bad liar is when I say one particular word repeatedly even if it had nothing to do with the matter at hand.

She gave me that yeah-right look. When she did so I turned around mouthing an incantation putting her to sleep wondering why I didn't do so earlier.

We entered the town shortly afterward. I didn't dismount from Jicaru. If I did Merle would still be hanging onto me therefore being dragged because incantations can't be dispelled when freshly cast and sleep spells were no exception.

So I sat on with my apprentice's embrace.

"Insolent vermin!" I was instantly knocked off before I could figure out which direction the insult came from. I fell in the mud, Jicaru managed to catch Merle, and a horse's hooves were on my back crushing my ribcage, pushing me further into the mud.

"How dare you walk in front of Lord Cau!" Why me? "What do you have to say for yourself?" Absolutely nothing, whether there's mud in my mouth or not. People like this never listen anyway.

A new voice came into the nonexistent conversation that only seemed to exist in the guard's fantasy world. "What's going on out there?" Oh, like he can't tell.

"My… my lord, it's nothing worth your time. I'll be done in a second."

He looked down at the pitiful form splashing around in the mud gasping for air and trying to get this fat, heavy creature off their back with as less injury as possible. What does he feed this thing? "What did he do?"

"He… he was disrespecting you, my lord." Why was this guy so nervous?

"Answer my question Genjo, what did he do?"

"He was in your path."

"Your breaking this man's bones for that stupid reason!" Cau was both furious and disgusted. Well now, this was something I wasn't expecting: a man of such high stature having compassion for a mere peasant. "Get your horse off of him Genjo." This is a horse?

The horse in question removed its hooves from my back. "I apologize for my guard, are you badly injured?"

While I brushed what I could of the mud, trying to reclaim what was left of my dignity I replied "Nothing is broken."

"Come. I'll get you cleaned up."

Maybe this won't be so bad after all, I can get a bath, food, and supplies for free and can leave without somebody's arm cut or hacked off (usually by me). Without another word Cau led me to the carriage and sat me down across from him. When the carriage moved I was so startled I hugged the seat and Cau laughed uncontrollably as I clung to the seat for dear life losing whatever dignity I managed to reclaim.

The carriage hit a bump making it go up into the air further then I liked causing me to cling harder to the seat making Cau laugh so hard he was crying and could scarcely breathe. I also noticed that his pants were getting dark rather quickly. He peed his pants. I would have found this funny except for the fact that this was also an embarrassing moment for me too and the fact that this was so amusing to Cau that he peed his pants wasn't very comforting.

Finally, after 20 minutes Cau got enough of a grip of himself to form sentences, not hold his sides and not die from laughing too hard which was really disappointing. The only parts of the scene that didn't change were Cau's pants and my position on the chair, which was threatening to come right off.

Cau was trying to assure me that I was safe and nothing would happen (from what I could understand anyway) while trying not to laugh at me, which he quickly found impossible. After 10 minutes he tried again having an easier time but still giggling like a stupid schoolgirl.

"Really sir giggle your giggle fine…" Another bump causing me to cling tighter, shake frantically, and much to my dismay started whimpering. He couldn't keep it in much longer and when it came out it was nice and loud, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Oh ha ha, just look down, and trust me, you won't be laughing much longer."

Surprisingly he heard me and looked down and started blushing in embarrassment. His expression made me feel better. Attempting to change the topic he asked me a simple question, "So uh, I didn't catch your name, I'm Lord Cau."

"I know that. What do you take me for, a 3 year old child?" in my position yes but I'll be damned if he treats me like a mere child.

"How old are you since 3 is out of the question?"

"My name is Knives, age 15." I'm not usually like this it's just that this whole predicament has put me in a pretty bad mood.

"A teenager huh, I was expecting a 50 year old man with that animal pelt covering your face and your body."

"Looks can be deceiving. How long until we get to the castle?"

"We'll be there any minute."

A few seconds after he said that the carriage stopped but I didn't release my death grip on the seat. Cau had to literally drag me out of the evil moving contraption with the carriage seat still in my arms. Once he calmed me down (and the torn seat no longer in my arms) we walked up to the castle and the massive doors opened automatically and we walked though the doors that made a booming sound once we were inside. 3 servants came and Cau gave specific orders to each one.

The servants then started to push and drag me into a certain direction and pushed me into a room. After 5 minutes when I realized I was in the changing room and the bathroom lay beyond the door across the room a servant came in "5 minutes and you haven't even started to undress."

"What of my companions?"

"The girl is in a guest room sleeping and the" he paused to figure out what to call the creature that is my travel companion, "beast is in the stables."

"Thank you." I had to thank him, he didn't like me being here and I didn't like him being here either at the moment and he did give me the info I asked for.

With that he left. I stripped myself of my clothing and went into the next room and saw that my bath was already prepared so I did what any other sensible, dirty, male teenager would do, jump in head first shouting "Canon-ball!" into the larger than normal bath tub with a big splash and start cleaning myself.

Once that was done I dried myself with a towel and what I could of the room I went to the changing room to find a blue shirt and green pants and my clothes nowhere in sight. Now there are two possible explanations for this new development 1) my clothes decided to change into actual clothing that wasn't badly sewn together animal pelts or 2) a servant came in while I was taking my bath and swapped my clothing with what was in front of me. If scenario 2 was the case I hope they didn't burn them. With that I put on the clothing and opened the door to find Merle about to enter.

She looked up to see who opened the door and got all misty in the eyes and hugged me.

"Oh Master, I finally found you," with that said she shoved her head into my chest weeping in what I thought were happy tears. What a drama queen.

"Merle where'd you go?" the question came from a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes and was about Merle's age who came around the corner and stumbled upon the melodramatic scene in front of him involving a teenaged elf who wants the world to leave him alone which resulted to attitude problems and an annoying human child who wants to spend every waking moment in that same elf's company. "Get your hands off of her you bastard! Taking advantage of a girl like that! How despicable!"

After shouting at me he tried to pull Merle away from me, which wasn't working out too well so he shouted at me again thinking that that will help the situation. "Let her go!"

"Let me go, Jordan!" Merle cried hugging me so tight I could scarcely breathe.

"It's John!"

"Whatever Joe!"

"It's John, Merle!"

I decided to enter the conversation at this point because John didn't look like he was going to let go of Merle and I know Merle wasn't going to let go of me and if somebody didn't let go soon I was going to pass out "Can't… breathe."

Unfortunately that didn't help any, they just kept on yelling at each other until I passed out. Merle telling John to let go of her using many names that sounded a lot like John and John reminding her, in a loud voice, that his name was John.

I awoke in a room with no decoration on the white walls except for two rather large windows. I turned my head to the right to see a small table next to the bed with a plate of fruit and a glass of water. I hate fruit.

"Oh your awake."

I turned my head to the left, "Ahh, demon!" I shouted as I jumped out of the bed and took up a fighting stance.

The demon moved it's head to look around "Demon? Where? I see no demon."

The door flew open and there was Cau standing in the doorway "Where's the demon? Are you hurt Mother?"

"Mother? That ugly creature over there is you mother?"

Before either of them could speak Merle was at the doorway.

"Master! Are you-" she stopped in mid sentence staring at me. At that precise moment I was just now aware that I was standing in the middle of the room butt-naked for the world to see. She turned her head away to hide the blush rising in her cheeks.

"What happened to your-" Cau stopped in mid-sentence just as Merle had "Mother," he glared at the woman I had mistaken for a demon. She was just that ugly.

"Now, now Cau surely you don't expect me to keep away from such a handsome man," she said mischievously, looking at me. For the first time in 5 years a blush found its way to my face, "though his penis should to be bigger." The blush just got bigger and redder.

"You're such a pervert Mother," Cau said in an accusing tone.

"Can I get some clothes over here?" I said impatiently as I started to recover from the perverted old women's dirty comment.

"I'll get some!" Merle shouted, glad to find an excuse to excuse herself from my obvious embarrassment after my discovery.

I put my bare butt on the bed and my hands in between my legs covering my private.

The door opened slowly.

"About time Merle," I growled pushing myself up and turning around.

There was a woman with long, brown hair that went to her butt and brown eyes. This was not Merle, of that I was certain. She moved toward me her brown eyes not leaving my colorless, sliverish, white eyes "Who's Merle?" she asked in a tone that made it sound like she didn't care in the least continuing to walk toward me with her arm out stretched. When she was close enough she put her fingers through my dark, damp, slightly curly hair, her eyes filled with curiosity and what seems to be growing desire.

"Master I got…some… clothes…" Merle looked at the scene before her. An unfamiliar woman standing rather close to her beloved master looking into his eyes with her hand in his black hair while he just stands there, naked, apparently struck dumb, "Get your filthy hands off of him you slut!"

Merle dropped the clothing and started running for the woman but Cau and the de- I mean old woman managed to get between the younger two women. I spoke an enchantment to have Merle slip into slumber. A side effect to this enchantment is that the person whom the spell was put on (Merle) would think that everything that happened in the previous hour was a dream. Just what I wanted.

While Merle was forced off into dreamland I walked over to the black shirt and pants she brought for me and put it on. Cau decided to speak since he found this silence a bad sign. He must want something from me.

Cau cleared his throat and began to speak, "Ah hem as I had said earlier this is my mother" as he said this he presented granny to me and continued, "and this young lady over there is my only daughter Kristina," he presented her the same way he did with granny, "I have a son too. I believe you met him already. His name is John."

Ah yes, John, he was the reason (well part of it) I passed out in the first place. So this means it was his fault I'm in this predicament.

I was stumbled out of my thoughts of torturing John with butterflies, pink clouds, and unicorns frolicking in a meadow of flowers. Because of an enchantment put on me long ago by the elder of the forest thinking that I have gone mad when I told him about my visions. Whenever I have violent, destructive, torturous thoughts my mind automatically thinks of nonviolent things. And since guys always have a state of mind where such things are involved in some way the elder decided to have my thoughts turn into girlie fantasies. _I'm going to kill that old man_ I thought of burning him then 5 seconds later I was thinking of myself riding one of those fucking unicorns and actually enjoying myself… the old man is tied to the giant stick with firewood up to his knees. I held the torch in my hand and threw it on the pile of wood, the old man's face sketched in horror… I slid off of the unicorn and started skipping around the meadow… the fire is starting to burn his withered skin… as I skipped I started to sing that retarded love song that all the elf girls love so much…

Cau realized that every few seconds my face would turn from evil pleasure to just plain disgusted then back to evil pleasure. He must have been thinking either that I was the wrong person to do whatever he's asking for or if he said something that offended me in some way.

"Am I offending you in some way, Knives?"

"I wouldn't know, I wasn't listening," Honesty is the best way (perhaps the only way) to go when you're a bad liar, "how about you sum up what you were saying while I was tuning you out," and thinking of ways to torture people I don't like (mainly the ones that helped make my life into a living hellhole).

Obviously while I was tuning him out he was trying to sweet talk me into doing something. Unfortunately for him it didn't work out too well for I wasn't listening and because of this and the fact that I asked him "nicely" to cut to the chase it only took him one goddamn line to ask me, "Will you marry my daughter?"

"What?" I all but shouted in his face, covering it with spit. What is up with humans? They think that if they marry off with elves they will all of a sudden become important. My people don't believe in rank. Sure someone orders everyone else around but that doesn't mean they get to skip out on the hard labor, live in a big house, and are treated better then everyone else. We are all equal and are treated that way. Why haven't humans caught on yet?

Cau cleaned his face off with a handkerchief he pulled from his sleeve, "I know you're a little young to be thinking of marriage," what is he, my father? "But I must insist. I can't find anyone suitable for Kristina."

"If she wants to marry me, she can ask herself. Unless this is all your idea."

"No, no, not at all, it was all Kristina's idea. She has a very good judge in character."

"If it will make you accept Knives, will you marry me? It isn't customary for a woman to ask this," Kristina cut into our man-to-man or as I think of it rebel teenager-to-guy pretending to be my father conversation of her future and mine.

"No, I don't even know you. I don't care if you are a good judge in character I'm not comfortable under these circumstances," this is the closest to polite as I'm gonna get.

"I'll leave you two alone. Come now, Mother," Cau said as he took his mother's arm into his own and picked up Merle with the other.

"Then stay a few months and get to know me."

"Unlike you, I have more important things to do."

"Can't I come along?"

"No."

"Why not?" Are all women this stubborn or just the ones I meet? And why is she so determined to marry me?

Not feeling the need to explain myself to a mortal I walked to the door and was about to open it till Kristina laid her small delicate hand on the hand on the doorknob, "At least stay for the night."

"If it will get you off my back, I'll stay for the fuckin' night."

Her face brightened by my defeat while mine got darker. She turned the knob and jogged out probably to tell Cau that I was going to stay the night. Then they'll probably try to somehow trick me into marrying Kristina. Well, if they think I'm going to marry anyone they are sadly mistaken.

Merle had finally woken up because I lifted the spell from her and braced myself for the awakening. Once I finished the spell and she was awake she jumped onto me and started hugging me and telling of her dream of a strange woman stroking my hair while I stood there naked letting her do it.

A servant girl with incredible strength pried Merle off of me and shooed me away telling me to change for dinner.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" I asked her impatiently, "And where are my clothes? You know, the ones made of animal pelts."

"Those sad excuses for clothing," it was my first time sewing, shut up, "They're in the wash and will be given to you in the morning before your departure," and with that she pushed me out of the room with 3 servants waiting at the door. They pulled, pushed, and dragged me to a random guest room, grabbed some fancy clothing out of nowhere, and began striping me of what I was wearing all in a matter of 30 seconds or less.

After I figured out what they were doing I began cursing, not cuss words actual curses, at them of bad luck for the rest of their pitiful lives. Half an hour later the battle finally had a victor and guess who won, they did. I left the room feeling like a prissy. Shortly afterwards my curses began to take effect on the servants.

After some time I realized I was utterly lost. Is this a castle or a maze? I swear they need to give maps to guests so they don't look like wandering idiots.

5 minutes later… _Didn't I just pass that butt-ugly pot?_

20 minutes later then that…_ that pot looks awfully familiar._

15 minutes later…_ Haven't I seen that pot before?_

After seeing the same pot for the 9th time I was getting really frustrated,_ Crap, not only am I lost but I'm not going anywhere._

Around 10 minutes later… _I'm hungry._

10 seconds after that thought…_This sucks._

What made this far worse then it needed to be was the fact that, much to my horror, not only do I feel like a prissy but I look like one. _Damn you fancy clothing_ _I will burn you._

After an hour of walking around in circles with similar thoughts from the past half hour and 20 minutes somebody found me, apparently I was 2 hours late and being the guest of honor nobody was allowed to eat until I got there and after the first hour the food got cold so not only did they have to throw away the food but the cooks had to remake the entire feast and Cau had half the castle looking for me. Don't I feel special? No, I feel like a dumbbell with no sense of direction.

Once the food was prepared we started eating, me and Merle doing what would be expected in this situation, stuffing our faces oblivious to those around us (who were disgusted and appalled at our manners or lack thereof) until the entertainment (court jesters) came and the food was taken from us and of course being us didn't want to be deprived of our food held onto it for all we were worth.

When they finally got the food out of our clutches we were pretty pissed until the jester came in then Merle forgot about the food but being a male teenager I wanted my food back. The jester gave one look at me and saw my foreboding expression, whispered to Cau saying he wasn't feeling well, and walked out as fast as he could while still putting on the act of a stomach ache. Another one came in and when he looked into my direction I gave him such a dirty look that it seemed he was tempting fate merely by being in the same room as me and he ran for dear life not even giving an excuse to Cau for the sudden departure. The next one was braver and started to perform but vomited suddenly from stage fright. The last one that they had came out not looking at me at all after seeing what happened to the first 3 and started doing a juggling act, starting to become more and more nervous feeling my eyes burning his back, and one item that he was juggling he threw up to the chandelier somehow unhooking it making it fall on the jester crushing him to death with blood splattered everywhere.

Everybody stared opened mouthed at the crushed body of the jester. Silence. Then Cau started moving, everybody following in pursuit. I was long gone to find the bathroom to clean up. Big mistake. I found myself walking past the same ugly pot as before, more times then I cared for. After passing it for the 15th time I was starting to get frustrated.

"Screw this!" I jumped right through the ceiling onto the roof tearing the clothes along with my skin in the process. I'll sleep up here. Who needs a goose feather stuffed bed? I do. But I'm not going to wander the castle for it.

I tore off most of the clothing, not bothering with the elaborate buckles, zippers, and whatever else was holding it together. I laid down to get some sleep only to realize I couldn't sleep. I was twitching, tapping the tiles, fidgeting with the roof tiles and strips of what was left of the clothes and growing very irritable though no one was there to irritate me.

So it's that time again. I was hoping to do this later after I left. Twitching gets worse. But I won't survive the night getting this restless.

I moved myself to a sitting position and crossed my legs, letting my arms go limp. After a while I could feel something rushing through my veins. Not blood but power. Pure power. My power. All of it, gradually increasing. It enveloped me. So much I was not aware that I was 200 feet in the air, my ponytail whipping around in the wind, a wind I created and controlled, my face facing the sky above me, my eyes dazed, showing no thought. Finally, it started to decrease, as did the wind which was what was holding me up in the air. As I gradually descended I was more aware of what was around me. And what was around me was Cau, Kristina, Granny, John, and Merle. Staring at me, except Merle who was staring at me in awe and admiration.

"What?" they kept staring, "what?" I asked more irritably.

"You… we're…" Kristina began but was too shocked to finish.

"Yeah, so? All elves do that. Everybody knows that."

"But Knives…" Cau began trying to overcome his disbelief, "you were up in the air so high we could barely see you."

I was starting to get nervous. "So, big deal."

"You were up there for an entire week."

An entire week? That was impossible. I was fumbling for an answer. The information the mortals knew was that this rite was used to "spend" power when we haven't used it over a long period of time. This wasn't why they were gawking. This was a sacred rite that no mortal has seen in over a millennia, that was why they were gawking. They didn't understand what this meant, not even Merle. The amount of power that courses through our veins takes hours sometimes days to go through the entire body… and my power far exceeded that of even the most powerful elves throughout our age… throughout all time…


	2. Hallucination

Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood

The blue sky had a few passing clouds as I looked up from the meadow my head lying on Jicaru's side. After I collapsed on the roof from exhaustion Merle, Cau, and Kristina carried me to a guest room I jumped out the window, went to the stables, and rode off on Jicaru. Nearly killed myself too.

I could just keep going, leave Merle, she seems happy there. At least I think so. Guilt trip. Damn you conscience.

I was about to get up, but my body wouldn't let me. It was done it wasn't going to do more no matter how much I yelled at it. So I did the only thing I could do: curse silently and fall into slumber.

The vibrations of Jicaru's stomach lead me slowly back to consciousness to find somebody coming toward me. Fast. White hair flowing in the wind. Dread found its way into my heart. _No, it couldn't be! It's not possible! What was _he_ doing here?_ The dread evolved into fear as the figure came closer. I would have run for my life but terror and weakness rooted me in place. My heart beat fast trying to escape from the fear gripping it tightly, my breath came in short gasps, and Jicaru drew me closer.

He was now a few feet away and hisimp ran from his side toward me. What did he want? I had suffered enough by his hand. The images still haunted me.

I wanted to shout but fear gripped my throat also.

"Master Knives." Now that horrid creature was mocking me. Calling me master. Ha! "Master Knives!" it called more urgently, "Master Knives!" it jeered, "Master Knives snap out of it please!" it pleaded crying tears of joy.

Fear still seized my throat not from the imp but from its master behind it. The imp was now looking at me with concern and growing despair. It reached for my hand and began stroking it. The touch was gentle making me relax a bit. The image wavered to show a brown hand caressing mine.

I looked up to the face of my tormentor to see not the face of the yellow-eyed imp but the face of my pupil on the brink of tears and behind her a white mane horse. Normally I'd be pretty pissed off but right now I was relieved. I can be pissed off later.

"Master, are you-"

"I'm fine Merle."

"Well you weren't a minute ago." A tear escaped.

"I'm fine now," I say getting a little tired of this conversation.

"But what if this happens again?"

"I can deal with it," ok, getting a little irritated here.

"No you can't!" Now I'm insulted.

"Are you saying I can't handle my own problems?" I say trying to keep myself calm.

"I'm saying I don't think you can handle this problem." More tears escape.

"I _can _and I will."

"Your such a jerk, Master Knives!" Now the tears were out and flowing freely. I'm used to being called a jerk but not by Merle, all I get from her is flattery and praise, this is bad. "I've never seen you so frightened before. I care about you. I want to comfort you but you pull away." Sobbing uncontrollably she shook unable to continue. She pushed her face into my breast and began soaking it with tears.

I was thinking about comforting her, really I was, but I was new at this and with next to no experience I'd only make it worse.

"How dare you make such a beautiful maiden cry you fiend!" came a voice from the trees. The source: a man in green tights. Oh joy, Robin Hood, "My dear, I have come to save thee!" Merle turned her tear soaked eyes to the man.

"Mind your own business!" I shout at the dolt. Why is it that every time Merle cries it's my fault?

"Silence wretched demon!" with that he pulled out his bow and an arrow, notched it and pulled the string back to his ear, aimed and fired.

I raised my hand to the place the arrow would hit and with precise timing caught the arrow. Robin Hood was flabbergasted, as was Merle. He recovered quickly, pulled out another arrow from his quiver, tied a rope to it, notched the arrow, aimed and fired at a thick tree branch. He then took hold of the other end of the rope and jumped from the branch. The arrow held firm as he swung though the air coming right toward us with his arm out stretched. Right in the space in-between our bodies his hand went taking Merle with his arm now around her waist. They landed on a branch a few feet from where the arrow was.

Robin's hand was still around her waist, which made Merle feel rather uncomfortable; he's going to get it now. If you got in Merle's personal space and she didn't want you there a broken bone is a definite possibility.

"You can let go now," she said trying to push away. Warning one.

His arm held firm, "I deserve a kiss for the rescue," he placed his thumb and index finger under her chin and turned her face toward his.

Her eyes widened "Let me go now you pervert!" she screamed while pushing harder. Warning two.

He didn't let go; she then kicked him right in the nuts, which sent his hands down to his crotch. The kick made Merle lose her balance causing her to fall.

"Jicaru, fetch!" I shouted at the beast pointing at Merle. Jicaru got to his feet, swiftly running to the falling form, pushed on his powerful hind legs launching his-self into the air, catching Merle in his mouth as he began descending to the ground, all in one graceful movement. Jicaru then ran back toward me, Merle in mouth.

Merle escaped Jicaru's teeth and ran toward me arms out wide. I know where this is going. Once she got close enough she wrapped her arms around me, "Thank you Master!" she cried as if she really were raped.

Once that heartfelt moment was over Merle mounted Jicaru and I flopped onto his back where I slipped into oblivion.

The first thing I saw was a white plaster ceiling in what I could only guess was an inn. Before I could confirm this the sound of an opening door came to my sensitive ears.

"Your awake," said that familiar voice only not with that familiar energy I've come to hate so well.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"An inn," She answered. Ah, so Merle can think for herself. I was expecting to be moved to a tree in the meadow half freezing when I woke up.

I sat up to see a finely furnished room with significant lighting. I moaned. We were probably in the richest inn in town. I guess Merle's brilliance could only go so far.

Merle sensed my discouragement from my scowl (oh wait, that's always there) and before she could ask I turned toward her with my head bowed, my eyes covered by hair and shadow with a smile on my face, "I cover my body with animal skins to hide my features and avoid towns and villages as much as possible to restrain suspicion and curiosity," I turned my head upward, smile gone, fury dancing in my cool eyes, "and all for nothing!"

Merle stood in place cowering in the might of my wrath.

"It'll be weeks before I can leave! And all because of you!" I continued ranting. And that's when a maid came in. I glared at her as though this was her fault too. She squeaked. Merle was somewhat glad that my anger shifted from her to the maid. "What do you want?" anger gripping each word.

"I-I-I-" she stuttered.

My patience was growing thin, "Out with it woman!"

"Wanted to pay my respects to you." She said quickly wishing she were somewhere else. The elves defended the humans against the demons because humans didn't have the strength or magic to do it. Due to this fact we're treated like gods whenever we tread through land inhabited by humans. And if anybody tried to murder an elf even if they didn't succeed they were killed on the spot with no trials whatsoever. Same punishment if they offended one.

"Then do so and get out of my sight." She then gave me a small silver statue of four men whose countenances were similar.

"May the Four Brothers smile upon you and Natarre guide you." With that she ran out of the room, Merle following her, hoping to escape my wrath. She was dead wrong.

Merle

Master Knives scares me.

"I-I-is he a d-de-demon?" the maid asked

"Huh? No. He… he… was in a bad mood," I looked at her. She was pretty, a little rattled but then again Master Knives' anger did that to most people. Big brown eyes and long, curly, reddish brown hair.

"How did you come to know such a horrible man?"

A vivid image of Master Knives' face fixed itself in my mind. Blood smeared his handsome features and his eyes, staring up at me, such hopelessness… unspoken agony…

I found myself on my knees, holding myself tears steaming down my face. The maid girl put her hands on my shaking shoulders.

"What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.

"Don't ever call him that," I whispered.

"What'd you say?"

I raised my quivering voice "Don't you ever call him that."

I don't think she understood. After a few moments she said "So what's your relationship?"

"I'm his pupil." I say, a bit more composed.

"I thought humans couldn't learn magic." She said, confused.

"They can't. He teaches me how to fight with various weapons. Every now and then Master Knives tells me about legends and religions and other stuff."

"His name is Knives?" she asked, bewildered.

"That's what he told me," I answered.

Back to the star of the fanfic

Already the room was cramped with gifts. Jewelry I wasn't planning to wear and statues made of ivory, gold, silver, bronze and other metals I couldn't even recognize. Gods, Goddesses, heroes of old, there were even some of Noku, littered the floor whereas the walls and furniture were covered with tapestries and paintings of epic battles, mystical gardens, and glorious creatures of myth.

The room was not the only thing cluttered with junk. My mind was riddled with blessings. And this was only from the kitchen staff. This was going to get much worse.

My frustration and anger festered, threatening to lash out. This was Merle's fault.

3 hours passed and Merle finally came back. The room was filled to the brim with gifts of more statues, jewelry, money, tapestries, and paintings (what do they expect me to do with all of this?) from the rest of workers at the inn.

I was breathing fire through my nostrils, anger boiling over.

"What's with all the stuff, Master Knives?" she questioned innocently.

"These are the gifts from the employees of the inn," I answered gritting my teeth.

"How nice of them. When are we going to be leaving? You look like you got most of your strength back."

I blew up "When are we leaving! Ha! We'll be lucky to leave a month from now!"

"Why?" she squeaked.

"Because of your stupidity! That's why!" the anger spewed everywhere, finally free. "Now we're stuck here! People will demand for miracles, blessings, advice and spiritual peace! And it won't stop there, oh no, then they'll ask me to fight in battles, assassinate kings, defend the nobles, swear fealty to the lords, the possibilities are endless!"

Instead of feeling better I was becoming angrier. Merle looked about to cry. "I'm sorry!" she shouted, at least, as much as she dared, understanding dawning.

An apology wasn't enough. I wanted more. I wanted what Merle couldn't give. Results. Answers. Help. But there wasn't anything or anybody who could fulfill those needs so I was on my own.

Author's note: yeah it's short. Stupid writer's block. Hopefully it'll get better, just don't bet on it. Thanks for the reviews guys.


	3. History, Religion, and Myths

Concealment. What better place to hide something then in plain sight? It couldn't be anything too big, I was still quite weak. Merle could get out on her own. Nobody knew she was my pupil so she should escape unnoticed. At least I hope. Merle has a tendency to screw everything up even before I have a plan. Why I haven't abandoned her is mere conscience, she did save my life after all.

She… she… no, I felt so hopeless then, I don't want to remember. I don't want to remember the pain… the sheer horror… clinging to life with everything I had…the will to live that held me captive in my own body while that overpowering presence did with me as it pleased. Afterward I wished to die. One thought echoed in my mind: why did I cling to life only to feel such excruciating agony?

Merle pulled my face up to look at my eyes. Why did I cling to life so?

"Master Knives what's wrong?" why did Merle save me? Why did this beautiful creature save such a pathetic and worthless life? For the first time I felt the hot tears falling freely down my face.

The more I tried to stop the tears the more that came out.

Merle laid my head upon her breast and encircled her arms around me in a warm embrace like a mother comforting a crying child, and like the child I was I put my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Merle

After his ranting I half expected Mater Knives to smite me. But he sat in the bed cross-legged, planning what to do next most likely.

So I sat there waiting for instructions. Only when I saw blood streaming down his arms did I see Knives was clutching himself so hard it drew blood and shaking did I begin to worry.

So I did something stupid. I went over there and held his face between my hands. My hands touched moisture. Was Master Knives… crying? Incredulous I lifted his head.

My heart nearly stopped. Such sadness and pain filled those beautiful silverish eyes. Master Knives never showed any emotion besides anger and exasperation, to see him like this… "Master Knives what's wrong?" I was surprised that I could speak at all let alone so calmly when fear and pity bubbled underneath.

He only cried more. It broke my heart to see him like this. I had to comfort Knives, but how?

I laid his head upon my breast and encircled my arms around him in what was hopefully a comforting embrace.

It surprised me that he returned the embrace. He felt so warm…

"Why am I so weak?" he said into my breast. Weak? Weak is the last to come to mind whenever I think of Master Knives. If anything he's the strongest person I know.

"Knives you are not weak. You're the strongest person I know."

He turned his head to look at me "then you haven't been with many people," there was no scowl on his face, nor skepticism, just unbelief.

"Ex-ex-excuse m-m-me M-m-mister Knives," the maid from earlier said before she registered the scene before her. A blush formed "I-I-I am sorry. Excuse me," she all but ran out the door.

"It's not what it looks like!" Knives yelled pulling himself from the embrace but the maid was long gone. "Damn it!"

Knives

Leaving the inn has just become harder. Not only is there a rumor that I'm masquerading as an elf but now people will say that Merle is my lover. I hate women.

Now I have to find a way out for Merle. Damn, I barely have enough power for small alterations to my features. This sucks. What am I going to do?

"What's the matter Master?" Merle questioned.

"Oh, nothing just that now I have to smuggle you out too."

"What?"

I sighed in exasperation. "You could have walked out of the inn with little comment because there wasn't any obvious relationship between you and I. But now, because that maid saw us like that, people will say that we have a deep perhaps even sexual relationship. And because of that if I go they'll keep you here to make sure I come back. In other words, a hostage."

"But how were you planning on to get out?"

"I _was_ going to make slight alterations to my facial features. But I can't do it for the both of us."

"What about the gifts the employees gave you?"

"Merle I don't think you realize this but this"-- I gestured the tapestries, paintings, statues, and jewelry-- "all of this is utter crap, therefore unnecessary and useless."

"But if we sold it we'd have money for food and lodging."

Merle CAN be brilliant! If only this happened more often there'd be so many things we could avoid.

"It's a stupid idea isn't it?" Merle said, obviously thinking that my silence was retaining impatience with her stupidity.

"No, no, I'm just-" I was about to say that I was surprised she had brains in that seemingly empty head, but I should compliment her. I want to promote these good ideas and have them happen as much as possible. "I'm just brooding over your suggestion."

"So, it's a good idea?"

"Actually it is." Her face showed utter shock, not only was I surprised and happy by her suggestion but I was actually being nice to her.

"I could put make-up on."

"What?"

"To alter my features." Two good suggestions in the space of 5 minutes! And by a dumbbell such as Merle! This was getting better and better. "I could do it for you too," she said, becoming a little bolder.

"No." I didn't have a particularly good reason for my refusal; I just didn't want to.

And so Merle found a mirror in one of the piles of crap cluttering the room and commenced altering her features with powder and paint.

I willed my eyes to darken to a bluish color and my hair to a lighter hue like brown. Illusions were easier concerning power but required constant concentration and I had other things to worry about.

I found a handheld mirror in a pile close to my bed and held it in front of my face. A man looked back at me with dark brown hair and silverish white eyes. What the hell? Did I do the incantation wrong? That must be it.

I tried 3 more times but the irises refused to change their eerie color. Damn, my eyes were the most noticeable thing about me besides my rude behavior; if they saw them then they'd know it was me.

Nothing for it, I brightened my hair to red with a few goldish yellow strands.

"Are you about done?" I shouted at Merle.

"Not yet," she replied.

I sighed in exasperation and began rummaging through the piles of crap for things that were small enough to carry and at least somewhat expensive. That meant jewelry.

By the time Merle was finished I had a small bag of jewelry, 3 figurines, 5 tapestries, and 4 paintings.

I looked up from my collection of small valuables to look at a girl with light brown skin, ebony hair, and large blue eyes and the faint smell of jasmine.

I rose then with the small treasures in hand and had a simple wooden cane appear in my hand.

"What's the cane for?" Merle asked.

"You'll know in a minute." I walked to the door while pulling a white strip of cloth from a hidden pocket in my pelts and tying it around my head covering my eyes.

"Your to come out later," I commanded.

"What about you? You surely can't see anything with that blindfold."

"I've been blind before Merle."

And with that I opened the door and walked out.

The instincts and knowing movement of the blind that I neglected came slowly but faster then I had expected. I walked slowly at first, trying to get use to not using my eyes while I moved the cane back and forth to make sure I didn't bump into anything. As I walked down the stairs to the first landing I grew more confident but still proceeded with caution.

Finally I made it to the common room. I had all the things that showed the world I was blind: a white cloth covering my "useless" eyes to protect everyone from the blind mans soul stealing gaze, a cane, and bare feet.

I found it rather amusing that people thought that a blind mans gaze stole your soul and sucked the life from it for temporary sight. But perhaps I found it amusing because I took off my blindfold once and scared a man to death nearly losing his voice screaming as he looked into my blind silver white eyes even after he realized he was fine. Poor man couldn't sleep for a week.

I believe that I made it to the door but there were two men blocking the way. I tired to go around but fortune wasn't on my side if it ever was.

"Hey where do you think your going?" one of them asked trying to start a conversation and possibly get a free mug of beer, although why he started with that is lost to the wind.

"Out the door," I answered impatiently and tried to go between the two since going around was out of the question.

"Aren't ya even going to say please?" so he was gonna be cute. I hit him in the leg with my cane. He fell to the ground yelling in pain. I was going for the groin but that works too.

I walked out the door and towards the stables. Once I got there I heard the door open and close and someone walk toward me.

"There was a man on the floor cursing and yelling. The guy next to him said that his leg was broken," Merle informed. It seemed more a question then statement.

"Go into the stables and get Jicaru," I said, avoiding the question, which was answer enough.

"Your so violent Master Knives, I thought elves were suppose to be peaceful."

"They're also suppose to be polite, compassionate, carefree, and patient, now go get Jicaru," and without further argument Merle went to retrieve the doglike-horse-thing.

She returned and I helped her up before I went up myself. I grabbed hold of Jicaru's white mane and whispered elfish into the beast's ear telling it to go where it wished as long as we ended up outside the town quickly.

As we walked through the crowds of people Merle rummaged through the small treasures. It was only a matter of time before—"Master Knives who is this?"—Before she asked whom these art pieces depicted. She handed me one of the figurines. I felt the contours of the small statue and named it Noku and handed it back to her.

"You don't know who Noku is?" I asked, incredulous.

"No," Merle answered simply.

"Then your guardian has been lacking in teaching you about history as well as religion and myths. Noku is the most powerful half demon anyone had come across. It belied the fact that his mother was a weak demon and his father but a poor human farmer."

"Why are you talking about his parents? Power comes from training, not heredity."

"That is true but during Noku's time many believed power comes from those before you. That's why Noku is such a big historical figure. He was the one who proved that heredity has nothing to do with power."

I could tell that Merle was soaking up this information for she was silent for many seconds.

"But Master, I recall the blessing that the maid gave you, the one talking about the four brothers smiling upon you and Natarre guide you, who are these people?"

"Have you been living under a rock! Not knowing about Noku I can understand, but the Four Brothers and Natarre? A three year old knows who they are!"

Merle began to whimper and I tried to calm my anger before going on. Better late then never I guess.

"Natarre is the elf goddess which many humans also believe in and worship. She created the elves to protect the humans against the demons. She is the rival of none other then the Lord of Nightmares, creator and god of the demons and humans."

"But if the Lord of Nightmares is the creator of humans then why do they worship Natarre?"

"I just said that Merle, because she protected them against the demons. Many scholars believe the Lord of Nightmares created man so he could feed the demons. As for the Four Brothers, also known as the Four Sons, there was a feud between two families that lasted for centuries. It is still under debate of whether the two families were demons, humans or elves. There was also a prophecy that whichever one had the blessing of four sons without a break in-between for a daughter then that family will reign victorious. Needless to say that one of the families had accomplished this fete and had four powerful sons." I pulled down my blindfold, grabbed the bag and pulled out a small painting of the Four Brothers. Pointing to each one in turn.

I pointed to one with maroon hair, triangular ears with two silver clasps on the outer rim and connected together by a chain, gray eyes and whose face while looked dazed portrayed no emotion. He wore a sleeveless, snug, transparent gray, and black shirt and a chain hanging down his chest with a skull and cross bones. The sleeves to the shirt were on his arms held there by black straps and his maroon pants were ripped in many places. On his right hand were two silver rings on the index and middle finger and one on his left foot on his big toe. Floating behind him in this particular picture were two small dark red wings.

"This is Run the eldest of the four."

"Why does he have wings? If this is a true depiction then doesn't that mean he's a demon?"

"Some artists portray their opinion or put things of hidden meaning in their art. If the former is true then the artist believes that the Four Brothers, or, at least Run and Yin, are demons," I moved my finger to the two in the middle whose countenance were almost exactly alike. They both had unruly red hair that seems to stick up everywhere and small horns sticking out of their foreheads through the mess. But the similarities ended there. The one standing by Run had a smile on his face and his blue eyes portrayed a child's innocence that not many carried to their adult years. Next to him his twin had yellow eyes with black slits and his scowl showed anger not at all restrained. The former had a white shirt and baggy white pants with a blue sash around his waist, the latter had a black shirt and baggy black pants with a red sash around his waist. "The one in white is Jin and the one in black is Yin, Jin's twin brother. Because of their similar countenances and obvious, almost bipolar, differences in personalities they are considered one of the many symbols of light and dark, good and evil. It's unknown which is the older but, again, this particular artist thinks that Jin is the older of the two."

The last one, on the end, had red hair and gradually turned black at the tips with it in a loose bun with the rest hanging out, his eyes the color of fire that showed the soul of a shy and hesitant boy, his skin more tan then the rest of his brothers and quite frankly looked like a girl. In this painting he lacked the two tails, one black with a white tip the other white with a black tip, and the one wing that was striped black and white. He wore a long blue vest over an equally long white shirt and blue pants, his only jewelry a necklace with two blue and yellow shells partly covering the red sphere that was the centerpiece and a yellow butterfly hair clip. "And that is Kaiya, youngest of the four."

"Master Knives what does it mean to have the Four Brothers smiling upon you?"

"The Four Brothers are thought of as good luck, bringers of good fortune. So when someone says 'may the Four Brothers smile upon you' they are asking them to favor you," I was getting tired of explaining all this to Merle. Sure I was only telling her the basics but I'm not too religious and talking about it is kind of dull and pointless. Many times Merle has asked me what I believe in and I have kept quiet. I had my beliefs true, but I wanted Merle to have her own opinions, which was why I kept any explanation concerning religion with as little bias as I could while telling her what others thought on the subject.

"Master Knives why do you have a necklace with somebody's hair?"

"That red hair is suppose to be a lock of hair from Jin's head."

"You mean Jin one of the Four Brothers?"

"Yes, Jin is the luckiest out of the four and people who are superstitious think that possessing a lock of Jin's hair, bits of his fingernails, or anything else on his person is lucky. And out of that group are a few who are gullible enough to believe that that is Jin's hair."

"So your saying it isn't?"

"Of course Merle, do you think that merchants have the resources or courage, if Jin is an actual person, to cut off a lock of his hair or steal an item of clothing? It's nothing more then a sales gimmick."


End file.
